Kedarnath temple is one of the most well-known temples in this world. All youth and old people around the world have dreamed of visiting at least once to Kedarnath temple. Kedarnath temple is located at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level in the mid-Himalayan ranges in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is a part of 12 jyotirlingas, panch kedar, chota char dham, and do dham yatra. It is believed that just by visiting Kedarnath yatra, one can get rid of the cycle of death and birth and achieve salvation. Every year lakhs of pilgrims visit Kedarnath temple to seek blessings of lord shiva.
History of Kedarnath Temple:-
It's hard to predict the origin of the Kedarnath temple but as per historians, it is believed that it is more than 1200 years old. In many holy scriptures, Kedarnath temple finds its space in Mahabharata. As per the legend, it is believed that after the end of Mahabharata, Pandavas went to lord Krishna and asked him to give them a way to get rid of their sin of killing their relatives and teachers in the Kurukshetra war. Lord Krishna asked them to meet lord shiva so after coronating Parikshit as an emperor of the Kuru dynasty, they proceeded toward Kashi in search of lord shiva as it was well known that Kashi is one of the favorite locations of lord shiva. But lord shiva was angry with the Pandavas for the devastation caused due to them and was not in the mood to pardon them. So lord shiva went to a place now in Uttarakhand. Now this place is known as Guptkashi as lord shiva opted for this place to hide himself. But determined Pandavas when got to know that lord shiva was in Guptkashi they started their journey toward Guptkashi. After great difficulty when they reached Guptkashi, lord shiva disappeared and went to the village "Of Kedar". Pandavas again started their journey toward Kedar but displeased lord Shiva turned into a bull and got mixed with other cattle grazing nearby. Bhima, one of the Pandavas noticed this and took a monstrous form put his two legs on two mountains, and asked his brother to send all cattle from below of their legs. As he was aware that lord shiva will never pass through his legs as it is disrespectful so he started entering the earth but Bhima hold him by his hump and requested lord shiva to pardon them. In this process, five body parts of lord shiva in bull form appeared at five different places. Forelegs appeared at Tungnath, face at Rudranath, hair at Kalpeshwar, and belly button at Madhyamaheshwar. All five Pandavas worshipped lord shiva and asked them to pardon them and stay at Kedarnath to bless human beings in the guilt of their sin. Lord Shiva took pity on them and relieved them of their sin. Later pandavas had constructed the Kedarnath temple and other temples where lord shiva's body parts had appeared. These five temples are collectively known as Panch Kedar.
Later in some of the scriptures, it is found that Adi Shankaracharya had got Kedarnath temple renovated in the 8th century, and then Raja Bhoj of Gwalior got it in the 10th-11th century.
How to reach:-
By Air: The nearest airport to Kedarnath temple is Dehradun Airport which is also known as Jolly Grant Airport. Regular flight service is available between almost all the major cities in India. Major operators on this route are Air India, Indigo, Spicejet, etc. The nearest international airport to Kedarnath temple is Indra Gandi International (IGI) Airport. If you are traveling from another part of this world then you have to book your flight to IGI Airport, New Delhi.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Kedarnath temple is Rishikesh railway station but you will not get any direct train from your city as very less cities operate for Rishikesh railway station. But don't worry, two stations Dehradun and Haridwar are sister cities of Rishikesh. These stations are just 30-40 km away from Rishikesh railway station. You can book your train directly from your city to any of these railway stations.
By Road: The last motorable road to Kedarnath temple is to Gaurikund. But outside vechile is allowed to ply till Sonprayag which is around 5kms from Gaurikund. The only way to reach Sonprayag from Haridwar / Rishikesh / Dehradun is by road. You have basically three options, The first one is to book your personal vehicle from these places which will stay with you throughout your trip. This is one of the most convenient and safe ways but it will cost you a heavy amount because the vehicle will stay with you throughout the journey. The second option is to hire a vehicle on a shared basis. This vehicle will drop you off at Sonprayag and will return. This means is less convenient but more economical as compared to the first option. The last and most economical method is to take a government bus from Haridwar / Rishikesh to Sonprayag. This means is not that convenient but best suitable for your budget trip.
What to Pack for Kedarnath Yatra:-
Kedarnath temple is located in a very strange location with very harsh weather. But the biggest problem is that you can't pack everything in your bag as you have to carry your luggage on your own. So it's most important to pack your bag carefully without overpacking or missing out on something important. Here is a list of some of the essentials which you can refer to while packing your bag
-Bag Pack
-Trekking shoes / Sports shoes
-Water bottle
- Trek Suit
- Full-sleeve shirt and Trousers
- Woolen and Cotton socks
- Raincoat
- Sunglass
- Medical kit
- Gloves
- Undergarments
- Cap
- Extra power bank
- Camera
- Candies or energy bar
- Torch or Headlamp
Conclusion:-
Visiting Kedarnath is one of the achievements of the Hindu pilgrimage. Everyone has it's to visit here at least once. But Kedarnath yatra is very tough due to its tough location. So it's important to plan your trip carefully or the best option is to book a Kedarnath tour package with any reputed organization that will take care of all your travel needs. On average Kedarnath yatra package costs you around INR 8000 to 12000 per person from Haridwar, depending upon the quality of services they are going to provide and places they are going to cover
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